Yonkers City Council Declares FEIS for SFC Yonkers Project Complete

YONKERS, NY — The Yonkers City Council voted 5 -2 in approving as complete, the FEIS (final environmental impact study) for the SFC  Yonkers Inc. Project, a development project comprised of developers Struever, Fidelco, and Cappelli. The vote was conducted last night.

CLUSTER Launches Police/Youth Dialogue Project

YONKERS, NY — The Westchester Mediation Center, a program of CLUSTER Community Services will be announcing the beginning of the Police/Youth Dialogue Project, at a kick-off reception on Tuesday, October 14, 2007 at 5:30PM in the Atrium of the Yonkers Riverfront Library.

The Police/Youth Dialogue is an effort to promote positive collaborations
between young adults and law enforcement officers inYonkers. 

This exciting initiative has been developed by The Westchester Mediation
Center and the Yonkers Police Department.

The project is based on a nationally recognized model call “Study
Circles” which provides a safe space for youth and police to share
their fears, concerns, misconceptions, biases, experiences and hope as
it pertains to change.

Twelve students between the ages of 14 –18 years old, who attend Gorton, Roosevelt and Riverside High Schools and Palisades Prep
have been selected to participate.

As a result of Commissioner Edmund Hartnett’s unflagging support and
encouragement, twelve Yonkers Police Officers have also volunteered to
become involved in these Dialogues.

Tajae Gaynor, Supervisor of School Based Programs for Westchester
Mediation Center stated, “We are tremendously excited about this initiative.

It is a wonderful opportunity for police and young people to speak up
in a constructive and collaborative manner and to learn from one
another.  This is how change begins.”

For more information about the Police/Youth Dialogue Initiative,
please contact Tarjae Gaynor at 914-963-6440, ext. 202.

45 South Broadway Chapter 11 Case Dismissed

YONKERS, NY — The Chapter 11 case regarding 45 South Broadway was dismissed exposing  the owners, Cook and partners, to personal liability to the City of Yonkers for the Section 108 loan

Annabi Seeks Update on Schools to Focus Budget Lobbying Efforts

YONKERS, NY — Yonkers Majority Leader Sandy Annabi, (D – District 2) will be introducing legislation into the City Council at tonight’s Rules Committee meeting, calling for a meeting between the Yonkers Schools Administration and the Council’s Education Committee. As Education Chair, she is seeking an update on the School District’s financial status, future outlook, and planned direction, given the dire economic forecasts and uncertain fiscal climate in the State.

Annabi said, “Our School District provides over
25,000 students with educational services, in conjunction with
initiatives to address student needs in the areas of guidance, social
work, health, and enrichment in the arts and competitive sports. Our
School District has had a long-term struggle with securing funding, and
the current fiscal conditions in New York State deeply affect the
projections for the City of Yonkers and our School District.”

Annabi stressed,  “Now is
the time to gather our resources, and find ways to buttress the
District against the coming financial crisis. To ensure that the
District survives the coming turbulence, Yonkers must plan and
strategize in advance of the worst of the coming budget crunch. The
City Council requires an update on the status of and the projections
for the Yonkers Public Schools, encompassing the remainder of the
current and coming budget year.”

“I have full faith that meeting with the
Superintendent and his budget team to cooperatively review the state
and direction of the School District will enhance and can better focus
legislative efforts to lobby for our School District,” Annabi concluded.

The next Council Rules Committee meeting is set
for 6:30 pm on, Tuesday, October 07, 2008 in the City Council
Conference Room on the Fourth Floor of City Hall.

PRESS RELEASE: Yonkers Committee for Smart Development to Hold Parade about SFC Project

Saturday, October 4th, from 2 pm – 4 pm  

YONKERS, NY — Yonkers Committee for Smart Development (YCSD) will hold a parade on Saturday, October 4th, from 2 pm – 4 pm, to highlight the potential traffic and safety problems, that the proposed SFC redevelopment project could hold for the downtown and waterfront areas.

In spite of the fact that there are serious and compelling topics which remain unaddressed in the SFC Project proposal, YCSD has elected to introduce a lighthearted note into the increasingly acrimonious citywide debate on the merits of this mega-project. The homespun, highly visual and appealing YCSD Parade will focus on the potential safety and traffic issues that the project may present.

A dozen YCSD volunteers will hoist aloft a 25’
long red fabric fire truck (visualize a Chinese New Year dragon!) and a
correspondingly sized fabric ambulance, and march them from the Main
Street Post Office, under the Metro North trestle, past the Pier and
around to the Sculpture Garden. The intent of the exercise? To
determine if a fabric fire truck, let alone a real one, can make it
around those turns! This legitimate question has been raised by City
Council members; there is a real possibility that emergency vehicles
will not be able to reach health or fire victims in a timely fashion. 

Parade participants will also try to help the
public visualize the precise dimensions of the waterfront space that
has been assigned to the public under the SFC plan to build two
25-story towers and parking garages on city-owned land, “Parcels
H&I”, between Scrimshaw House and the Domino Sugar Plant. 

YCSD, which is a community organization comprised
of citizens from throughout the city, believes that Yonkers can achieve
municipal economic success through Smart development. YCSD volunteers
have scrupulously followed the City Council SFC review process;
attended virtually every council and committee meeting; and read and
commented on the several versions of the Environmental Impact
Statements. The organization believes that serious questions, regarding
matters which may have a permanent negative effect on the
quality-of-life of local residents, remain unanswered in the Final
Environmental Impact Statement. Among the topics:

Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) vs. Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOTS)

A switch from (TIF) Tax Incremental Financing to
PILOTS (Payments in Lieu of Taxes) has been proposed at the eleventh
hour in this project. Members of the public are uninformed about these
proposed changes. TIF, originally declared by SFC to be the only choice
to fund the needed infrastructure improvements, now may be dismissed
with no public dialogue or explanation. As we have learned from White
Plains and New Rochelle, redevelopment projects sold to the public as a
means of controlling property tax increases do not necessarily achieve
that goal. The financials for the SFC project could well have a direct,
negative effect on our property taxes as Yonkers residents absorb the
costs of bond issues and / or considerable tax relief for the
developer. 

Yonkers City Tax Revenues

The SFC Draft Environmental Impact Statement
states that Yonkers can expect to earn annual tax revenues of
approximately $9 million from this $1.6 billion project. The council’s
own analysts are concerned that revenues may not even reach $5 million
a year. The enormous SFC project will not only displace existing
residents and businesses, but cause dramatic social, environmental and
quality-of-life upheaval that will reverberate throughout the city. The
costs of additional city services have not yet been calculated. Is a
project of this magnitude really necessary for an estimated annual
return of $5,000,000, which represents only 0.5% of the annual Yonkers
budget? 

TIF “Soft Costs”

It was recently announced that, should it be used,
the projected $165,000,000 TIF will require an additional $52,000,000
in “soft costs” that will have to be funded somehow… does this mean by
the city – i.e., the taxpayers? 

Fire Department

The Yonkers firefighters’ union has expressed grave reservations about the

Yonkers Fire Department’s ability to handle fire emergencies in what they

term “super” high rises.

Affordable Housing

SFC has stated that no affordable housing units
will be contained in their luxury buildings. “Off-site” units will
comprise only a fraction of approximately 1600 new apartments. White
Plains is still waiting for its Cappelli-contracted affordable
housing.   

Ball Park

The Ballpark

The “Minor League” ballpark is formally
acknowledged as a money loser; nevertheless, plans proceed to perch it
on top of an eleven story shopping mall in the heart of the city’s
historic low-rise downtown.

87 Nepperhan Avenue (Health Services Building) and the new Cacace Center

SFC intends to demolish the Health Services
Building at 87 Nepperhan Avenue, which was declared a city landmark
last night by the Landmarks Preservation Board. The valuable Art Deco
building would be replaced by a parking garage and the city departments
which are housed in the building would be moved to the planned Cacace
Center across Nepperhan Avenue, where Yonkers would pay to lease 90,000
square feet of office space to replace the free space in its
own building. SFC states in the draft version of the Final
Environmental Impact Statement that the loss of rental income from the
city would compromise the economic viability of the entire project. In
other words, the city taxpayers are again asked to subsidize the SFC
project and to absorb its negative impact on the city budget.

Quality-of-life; traffic; environmental
sustainability; social and environmental justice topics – YCSD calls
upon the Yonkers City Council to more carefully study all these major
issues confronting the city in the light of this enormous development
proposal.

In the meantime, come and enjoy the YCSD Fire Truck Parade!

SOURCE: Yonkers Committee for Smart Development (YCSD)

YONKERS TRIBUNE: Jim Bostic Allegedly Delinquent in Paying Staff at Nepperhan Community Center

YONKERS, NY — Jim Bostic, sacred cow and director of the Nepperhan Community Center (NCC) is again allegedly delinquent in paying his staff. Funding for NCC is comprised of Community Development Block Grants and other subsidies.

Bostic has proven himself to be a poor manager over his cash flow needs, evidently incapable of planning to meet the recurrent remuneration requirements to pay his staff. This is the second situation for which Bostic is allegedly responsible and for which he has not responded.

Read the June 6, 2008 story published in the Yonkers Tribune Website entitled, Nepperhan Community Center in Arrears Paying Staff By Hezi Aris.

An inquiry and request for response was left at NCC at 4:00 pm with no reply yet. Similarly, a request of Councilmember Patricia McDow through her City Council aide has yet to be returned on this issue.

Another situation for which there is community silence, is the allegation that there was a one-time incident in which 300 some-odd gang members met at the Glenwood Power Station for the sake of gang
initiations allegedly during May or June 2008.

The Yonkers Police Gang Unit has during the last few months not been able to corroborate any semblance of the allegations made at public hearings held at the NCC, and postulated by Jim Bostic, and Councilmember Patricia McDow.

Again, no corroboration from either of these so-called community “leaders.”

http://www.yonkerstribune.com/2008/10/jim-bostic-alle

Westchester County Association Strongly Urges Yonkers City Council to Approve SFC Redevelopment Proposal

WHITE PLAINS, NY — The Westchester County Association (WCA) today strongly urged the Yonkers City Council to approve the Struever Fidelco Cappelli (SFC) proposal to redevelop downtown Yonkers. The Council members are expected in the near future to vote on acceptance of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), a key step in moving the project toward final approval.

 “At a time when the overall economy is struggling, we in the business
community can’t think of a single redevelopment project that is as critically
important to the future of Yonkers and the entire regional economy as the SFC
proposal, “ said William M. Mooney, Jr., WCA President. “In both size
and scope, this plan holds the most promise for bringing redevelopment
to downtown Yonkers along with opportunities for long-term employment,
revenue generation and numerous quality-of-life benefits for Yonkers.”

Mooney said the Council had undertaken an 
appropriate two-year intensive and thorough review of the SFC proposal.
He commended SFC for conducting an extensive outreach program to
reflect the concerns and issues of the community in the planning
process. “The public has weighed in and helped to shape the plan. The
time has come to move the project along.”

 “Clearly, recent events have cast a very dark shadow across the economic
landscape. But, with financing in place for the SFC plan, any further delay
 in the vote could put the future economic vitality of downtown Yonkers in
jeopardy.The approval to move the SFC project forward will serve as a very
bright beacon of hope for both the City of Yonkers and the entire
Westchester community,” Mooney stated. 

The Westchester County Association (www.westchester.org)
is the preeminent business membership organization in Westchester
County.  The Association is committed to business advocacy, economic
vitality and to providing a strong and clear voice for the interests of
businesses on the regional, national and international levels.

Landmarks Preservation Board Approves Landmark Status for 87 Nepperhan Avenue

YONKERS, NY – The Landmarks Preservation Board, in a 6 to 2 vote, approved the landmark application for 87 Nepperhan Avenue. The Landmarks Preservation Board decision causes final landmark status approval to come before the Yonkers City Council for the final hurdle before acquiring landmark status designation.

Mexican Gang Members Arrested in Yonkers and New Rochelle

YONKERS, NY — On July 24, 2008 at approximately 6:00 a.m. members of the YPD Narcotics/Gang Unit in conjunction with Immigration and Customs Enforcement took part in “ICE Surge 2008”, an operation to remove alien gang members from the United States.  Six locations were checked in Yonkers.  Two locations were checked in New Rochelle by I.C.E. and Westchester County Probation. The following Mexican Gang members were arrested on I.C.E. Administrative warrants:

Yonkers Results:

Albarto Gonzalez, 18 year old male of 114 Beech Street (Cholos 18)

Edgar Juarez, 18 year old male of 28 Purser Place (Vatos Locos)

Raymondo Lopez, 22 year old male of 25 Palisade Avenue (Cholos 18)

Carlos Mejia, 19 year old male of 77 Waring Place (Vatos Locos)

Victor Onofre, 24 year old male of 33 Oak Street (Aztek Pride)

New RochelleResults:

Juan Valdovinos, 18 year old male of 55 May Street, New Rochelle

Sereriano Valdovinos, 19 year old male of 55 May Street, New Rochelle

Joan Gronowski: A New Political Model for Yonkers

If there is one political office where change can be affected and the voters truly have a choice, it is in the race for the council person of the 3rd district.

Facing long odds and continued backstabbing by her own party, Joan Gronowski has managed what in Yonkers is the near impossible.

She has so far beaten the “Democrat Party Clubhouse” to win the BLANK endorsement to be on the ballot line of the Democrat Party in November.

She will will face her “old friend” Sam Borelli who has three party lines and Dick Halevy, the Republican. Both of these men are as entrenched as the problems they seek to solve. In essence, more of the same.

Ms. Gronowski’s service to her community and experience comes over a lifetime in the City of Yonkers. She has been active and engaged in public service, government, politics, and community. She does what others talk about.

For that, and her integrity, and speaking truth to power, Ms. Gronowski has suffered at the hands of and even some of her own friends.

Why? Because she was willing to speak up and speak out.

Since politics in Yonkers has become so personal, she was fired, deprived of her pension and livelihood, and needed to fight back with a lawsuit.

After several years, she won. Even though a Pyrrhic victory – a victory, never the nevertheless. If anyone brings experience, integrity, and perseverance to her constituency, it’s Ms. Gronowski.

If anyone deserves to be elected, it’s Ms. Gronowski. If voters want to make a difference, they can. The choice is easy. In the third district, it’s Joan Gronowski.